Promised

What Do You Dream?

Wood shavings sparked this time of year. T'was the water in them. Probably the anger at being woken from a winter nap.

Hervath yelped as he gathered them. Sucked his fingertips.

Augur's lips quirked, shoulders vibrating as he worked a branch. Peeling its bark.

Thought pain was funny did he? Let's see him enjoy electric sparklers!

Boring narrow holes, bracing the branch o'er a stump to keep the girthiest portion steady, "You're pouting hummingbird."

Hervath fell to his knees, clutching his chest, "Because I'm wounded Auggy! How else should I act?"

Blacked eyes, mud mix to ease the swelling, glanced. Smile widened, "Like a wood worker on a time limit."

Roots cooled his back, tendrils patting his cheek, "After all I've done for you, this is how you treat me!? At least Horatio still loves me!"

Blowing dust, giggling as Hervath swatted it away, "The tree you're cuddling?"

Grabbing more roots in a hug, nuzzling them, "This handsome teddy bear you mean."

Augur patted the Elm's boughs, "He's a handful isn't he?"

Rolling his belly with the root jitters; dancing or laughter in tree language, "Horatio's an older fellow. Not much to be troublesome about."

Sidelong gaze, snapping the branch apart via fulcrumed weight. The slender end shorn twice more to make four pieces, "If that's what you think. I'm sure you're right Hervath."

Oh. Ha!

Hervath brayed loudly, playing the ass as he had t'was only right; quietly chortling as Augur bent double, hands beating his knees. He'd gotten smoother in his ribbing he'd give the man that.

"If anyone is troublesome here it's you Auggy. Lying to Rammstein will surely bite your back."

The piece with the holes was laid flat. Triangular cuts were made to five points five ticks apart.

"What did I lie about Hervath?"

Ah, the star would become the carousal's base. The triangles the dolphins posts.

"Your skills."

Despite claiming he'd not carved anything, Augur glided. The enchanted tools Drungelda made them could only shear wood, not remake it.

Snorting, putting the triangles o'er the holes, nicking where to cut, "This is not wood work. This is emulated hacking and praying things fit. Grandma would have carved the whole thing from blocks. Glued it together. She'd be furious could she see me desecrating wood this way."

Hervath traded pinecones from saplings to bushes. A game of catch; he could never refuse playing, "You're not her so don't compare. You've more a plan than I had for making the carousal."

Rocking the hand saw, triangles rounded, broken slivers peeled by hand set aside, "I hope the little one likes it. Only I'm not sure how to make the dolphins stay. I know I'll use these silvers for them. Would resin work for longtime glue?"

Giving the point to the bush, she'd tossed harder no two ways about it, knotting a strand of hair to her crown, "So long as she didn't play with it roughly. Ask politely and they'll make it extra sugary."

Scalpel handle hammered the first dowel; blade jostled it for integrity, "Which tree should I speak with?"

Trees round the glen shook and whipped. Birds, squirrels, and insects chittered. Wolves, bears, and deer howled their annoyance, pelted by cones, nuts, or smaller creatures. Hervath cuddled a possum, scratching it's belly, "Sonia says she'll make some for you. Asks for us to plant her children near her."